Paul Washer – Practice the Presence: Silence and Meditation

Paul Washer – Practice the Presence: Silence and Meditation

Notes on the Youtube video below (Busyness and Spiritual Discipline by Paul Washer):

The first part has audio problems, but after minute 4:44 the audio is fixed. You can hear him repeating the same lies and leading sincere people away from genuine Faith in Christ. The Presence of God is not an experience. I am in God’s Presence through the blood of Jesus Christ, not by being silent and sitting at His feet. To be sitting at His feet means that you are learning from Him the truth that is written in the Word of God.

Comments are sprinkled throughout.  At the very beginning of the message he speaks of silence and meditation (5:50) and cites a poem or something that refers to the sacred silence (6:53).  The part were he talks about Practice the Presence is at (21:45) – Paul Washer is quoting “Brother Lawrence – Contemplative Monk”  (1611- 1691). 

Busyness and Spiritual Discipline by Paul Washer – Youtube on December 10, 2009.

Who was Brother Lawrence:He uses the phrase “Practice the Presence” and refutes the idea that you can pray as you go, but then he gives it heed by saying you must practice the presence in a time of stillness and solitude. He didn’t use those exact words, but that is the message. These are the buzz words. This teaching is being woven into the teaching of those who are trusted and it is sad to recognise it for what it is. A little leaven meant to leaven the whole lump.

“[T]he 17th century [French] monk, Brother Lawrence, developed a technique–mostly through inspiration and intuition–which leads to results akin to those developed by the continued practice of either Zen or mindfulness meditation. In The Practice of the Presence of God” he wrote:

“This made me resolve to give the all for the All: so after having given myself wholly to GOD, to make all the satisfaction I could for my sins, I renounced, for the love of Him, everything that was not He; and I began to live as if there was none but He and I in the world … I worshipped Him the oftenest that I could, keeping my mind in His holy Presence, and recalling it as often as I found it wandered from Him. I found no small pain in this exercise, and yet I continued it, notwithstanding all the difficulties that occurred, without troubling or disquieting myself when my mind had wandered involuntarily. I made this my business, as much all the day long as at the appointed times of prayer; for at all times, every hour, every minute, even in the height of my business, I drove away from my mind everything that was capable of interrupting my thought of GOD. Such has been my common practice ever since I entered into religion.”   —Western Mystical Traditions (Quote by Brother Lawrence from First Letter)

Source:   ^{–—www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/brotherlawrence.htm}

Paul Washer and a few of his staff members at HeartCry Missionary often quote C.S. Lewis and promote his books along with J.I. Packer

Lewis’s Acceptance by Evangelicals

1. According to a Christianity Today reader’s poll in 1998, Lewis was rated the most influential writer.
2. Though Lewis died in 1963, sales of his books have risen to two million a year.
3. In an article commemorating the 100th anniversary of Lewis’s birth, J.I. Packer called him “our patron saint.”
4. Christianity Today said Lewis “has come to be the Aquinas, the Augustine, and the Aesop of contemporary Evangelicalism” (“Still Surprised by Lewis,” Christianity Today, Sept. 7, 1998).
5. Wheaton College sponsored a lecture series on C.S. Lewis, and Eerdmans published “The Pilgrim’s Guide” to C.S. Lewis.

Lewis’s Heresies

1. Christianity Today noted that he was “a man whose theology had decidedly unevangelical elements” (CT, Sept. 7, 1998).
2. He believed in purgatory, confessed his sins to a priest, and had the last rites performed by a Catholic priest (C.S. Lewis: A Biography, pp. 198, 301). He received the Catholic sacrament of last rites on July 16, 1963.
3. Lewis rejected the doctrine of bodily resurrection (Biblical Discernment Ministries Letter, Sept.-Oct. 1996).
4. He believed there is salvation in pagan religions.
5. Lewis denied the total depravity of man and the substitutionary atonement of Christ.
6. He believed in theistic evolution and rejected the Bible as the infallible Word of God.
7. He denied the biblical doctrine of an eternal fiery hell, claiming, instead, that hell is a state of mind: “And every state of mind, left to itself, every shutting up of the creature within the dungeon of its own mind-is, in the end, Hell” (Lewis, The Great Divorce, p. 65).

Source:  ^{www.discerningtheworld.com/2010/03/29/the-new-evangelical-evil-fit-for-a-new-dark-age/}

Are all the visible leaders falling for mysticism?

All I can say is that when Jesus Christ came the first time, it was a bunch of nobody’s that he called. The leaders were too busy with their own kingdom to be bothered with the Truth. In fact we know that they wanted to destroy the Messiah. There were apparently a few that eventually listened, but not the majority.

This is the other thing that we must always discern. Has someone changed their theology to be more biblical or are they moving away from a biblical position. We must discern which way their theology is moving. I would hate for someone to quote me from the fall of 2006, because I would have been endorsing the very same teaching that I now oppose. Unfortunately, the trend seems to be exactly what the Bible says, Apostasy!  That is what we are witnessing.

The thing that makes Washer appealing is his stance against lukewarm Christians and push for personal holiness. Funny how we always seems gravitate back to the law. But as Christians we are not under the law, but under grace.

Paul Washer is a staunch Calvinist believing in the 5 points of Calvinism (TULIP)

• Total Hereditary Depravity
• Unconditional Election
• Limited Atonement
• Irresistible Grace
• Perseverance of the Saints

Paul Washer uses the Purpose Driven Church Model regarding Unity and Church Planting:

6. “Church Planting is the Primary Work of Missions. There are many gifts and callings in the body of Christ, but all of them are to work together on the mission field with the primary goal of planting a biblical church. It is one thing to do mass evangelism and to boast of the numbers of decisions; it is quite another to establish a biblical church.”   [Emphasis added]  ^{—www.heartcrymissionary.com/about/statement_of_faith/essential_convictions}

Paul Washer supports Dominion Theology/ Kingdom Now Teaching:

7. “True Missions is Costly. Amy Carmichael explained that missions is no more and no less than an opportunity to die. We live in a fallen world that is at enmity with God and opposes His truth; therefore, missions and suffering go hand in hand. Any advancement of the kingdom of Christ into the dominion of the devil will be met with warfare. There are many countries and people groups where  martyrdom cannot be avoided”.  [Emphasis added]  ^{—www.heartcrymissionary.com/about/statement_of_faith/essential_convictions}

[DTW note:  Even though “Amy Carmichael” is speaking about real warfare.  Spiritual warfare can be applied to this as well.  The buzz words – “advancement of the Kingdom of Christ” is what taking dominion is all about]

Paul Washer refers to HeartCry Missionary as a SOCIETY: 

This is very concerning.  Born Again Christians are not part of a society.  They are part of the Body of Christ.   Paul Washer considers his ministry a society of like minded people, with similar interests, purposes and passions.

He is subtly promoting Unity.  Like minded people?  Why not say born again Christians? Anyhow, it’s all about like-minded people coming together (does not matter what type of Christian you are) as long as you are coming together with one purpose.

“The HeartCry Missionary Society is not a para-church organisation, rather, we are a ministry under the authority and supervision of a local New Testament Church and its elders.

We call ourselves a society simply because the word denotes a proper association of people with similar interests, purposes, or passions. Those of our church and those who faithfully support this ministry have one abiding purpose:  That God’s Name be great among the nations through the redemption of men and the building up of Christ’s bride.”  [Emphasis added] —www.heartcrymissionary.com/about/accountability/church_and_elders

Some of HeartCry Missionary Recommended Links:

• Grace to You by John MacArthur –  in-depth Bible teaching brings the life-transforming truth of God’s Word to millions of people every day.

[DTW note:  John Mac Arthur is a Calvinist.  Also see article here on John MacArthur exposed – UN connections, and denied the Blood of Jesus Christ and compares Jesus’ Blood as just being ‘liquid’:  John MacArthur I pray this is NOT true! ]

• Desiring God  by John Piper – Provides God Centered resources from the ministry of Dr. John Piper.

[DTW note: John Piper supports Rick Warren wholeheartedly including contemplative spirituality as he condones Mark Driscoll.     See article on John Piper:  John Piper – Taking Leave and Asks for Forgiveness .      Mark Driscoll on meditation:  Mark Driscoll’s RESURGENCE and EMERGENCE with Catholicism

• Justin Peters Ministries

[DTW note:  Justin Peters is also a Calvinist]

[EDITED:  27 May 2010 – Paul Washer has rescinded his support for Bill Graham in recent years (The Youth conference video below was filmed in 2002).]

Paul Washer promotes Billy Graham starting 37:00 min into the video.

Billy Graham denies Jesus Christ

Paul Washer and most of the staff at HeartCry Missionary believe in Amillennialism:

Here is a reply to an email I sent to Paul Washer’s Ministry over 2 years ago asking them about Pre-Tribulation, Post-Tribulation, the Rapture, etc.

 from:   Marc Glass <mdglass[at]heartcrymissionary. com>

date:    Tue, Jan 29, 2008 at 6:40 PM
subject:   Re:   HeartCry Missionary Society: For Paul Washer / Marc Glass

Deborah,

There are, basically, 3 views on eschatology (the study of the end times).
The first, which you’re most familiar with, is classified as pre-millennial.
A second, as you have mentioned post-millennial.  The third, and what most
of HeartCry’s staff believes, amillennial.  One very important thing to keep
in mind is that there has been no consensus on what is the correct view for
2,000 years of Christian history.  There have been very good and godly men
in each eschatological camp.  The proper thing to do is to state what you
believe (and just as important, why you believe it) and then have grace and
love towards those who disagree.  This is certainly an issue that if we can
say anything about with certainty, it is that the Scriptures are not
perfectly clear on it.  God bless.

Marc Glass

What is Amillennialism:

Amillennialism (Latin: a- “no” + millennialism)

Amillennialism is a view in Christian end-times theology named for its rejection of the theory that Jesus Christ will have a thousand-year long, physical reign on the earth. This is in opposition to pre-millennial and some post-millennial views of chapter 20 of the Book of Revelation.

In contrast, the amillennial view holds that the thousand years mentioned in Revelation 20 is a symbolic number, not a literal description; that the millennium has already begun and is identical with the current church age, (or more rarely, that it ended with the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 – see Preterism).

Amillennialism holds that while Christ’s reign during the millennium is spiritual in nature, at the end of the church age, Christ will return in final judgement and establish a permanent physical reign.”

Teaching

“Amillennialism teaches that the Kingdom of God will not be physically established on earth throughout the “millennium”, but rather

• that Jesus is presently reigning from heaven, seated at the right hand of God the Father,      [DTW Note:  All mankind has to do is preach the gospel and turn the world into a Christian world so that Christ may finally return and judge the wicked]
• that Jesus also is and will remain with the church until the end of the world, as he promised at the Ascension,    [DTW Note:   This is because they believe the Church is Israel]
• that at Pentecost, the millennium began, as is shown by Peter using the prophecies of Joel, about the coming of the kingdom, to explain what was happening,     [DTW Note:   Again they can make this claim because they believe that the Church is Israel and that all prophecies have been fulfilled since 70 A.D.]
• and that, therefore the church and its spread of the good news is Christ’s kingdom.     [DTW Note:   The church and it’s spreading of the good news is NOT Christ’s Kingdom.  The Kingdom of God is the Holy Spirit in every born again Christians life. Amazing how the correct interpretation of scripture changes EVERYTHING.]

Amillennialism also teaches that the binding of Satan described in Revelation has already occurred.

Therefore Satan has been prevented from deceiving the nations  i.e., he can’t prevent the spreading of the gospel.   This is the only binding he will suffer in history.

Amillennialism is sometimes associated with Idealism as both teach a symbolic interpretation of many of the prophecies of the Bible and especially the Book of Revelation.     [DTW Note:   Idealism – the tendency to represent things in their ideal forms, rather than as they are.]

Medieval and Reformation periods

Amillennialism gained ground after Christianity became a legal religion. It was systematised by St. Augustine in the fourth century, and this systematisation carried amillennialism over as the dominant eschatology of the Medieval and Reformation periods. Augustine was originally a premillennialist, but he retracted that view, claiming the doctrine was carnal.

Amillennialism was the dominant view of the Protestant Reformers. The Lutheran Church formally rejected chiliasm in the The Augsburg Confession-

“Art. XVII., condemns the Anabaptists and others ‘who now scatter Jewish opinions that, before the resurrection of the dead, the godly shall occupy the kingdom of the world, the wicked being everywhere suppressed.‘”

Likewise, the Swiss Reformer, Heinrich Bullinger wrote up the Second Helvetic Confession which reads

“We also reject the Jewish dream of a millennium, or golden age on earth, before the last judgement.”

John Calvin wrote in Institutes that chiliasm is a “fiction” that is “too childish either to need or to be worth a refutation.” He interpreted the thousand year period of Revelation 20 non-literally, applying it to the “various disturbances that awaited the church, while still toiling on earth.”

chil·i·asm –  the belief that Jesus Christ will return to earth in visible form (after the Tribulation) and establish a kingdom too last 1000 years.

Modern times

Amillennialism has been widely held in the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Churches as well as in the Roman Catholic Church, which generally follows Augustine on this point and which has deemed that pre-millennialism “cannot safely be taught.“

Amillennialism is also common among “mainline” Protestant denominations such as the Lutheran, Reformed, Disciples of Christ, and Anglican churches, and even has a significant following amongst Evangelical Christian denominations.

Source:   ^{http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amillennialism}

Comparison between Amillennialism and Dominion Theology

• The belief in Amillennialism or Preterism also called Victorious eschatology is part and parcel of Dominionist Theology.

Amillennialists believes that we are living in the millennial era and Jesus reigns spiritually from heaven.   The destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D means that all prophecy in the Bible has been fulfilled – especially the Book of Revelation.

Amillennialists can claim the earth and must dominate by instilling Christian principles and a moral code which will create a Christian society so that Jesus can manifest His presence one day and judge the wicked.

Dominionists can claim the earth and must dominate by instilling Christian principles and a moral code which will create a Christian society so that Jesus can manifest His presence and rule the world.

Amillennialism teaches that the Church is now Israel because natural Israel has been cut off from God.

Dominionism teaches that the Church is now Israel because natural Israel has been cut off from God.  Another word for Dominion Theology is Replacement Theology that teaches that the Church is the replacement for Israel.  The many promises made to Israel in the Bible are fulfilled in the Christian church, not in Israel.  All promises Abraham made to Israel now belong to the Church.

Martin Luther, like the Catholics, did not hold that the book of Revelation should be among the Canonical books.

C. Peter Wagner (Head Apostle in the New Apostolic Reformation), has openly declared that he is Amillennial/Preterist.

“Victorious eschatology fits dominion theology like a hand in a glove. Eberle and Trench say, “Before Jesus returns, the Church will rise in glory, unity, and maturity. The Kingdom of God will grow and advance until it fills the Earth.”

Victorious eschatology makes a convincing argument that the biblical prophecies concerning the “last days” or the “end times” were literally fulfilled at the time of the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. The end times marked the ending of the old covenant and the beginning of the new covenant. Jesus literally will return to the earth in the future (see Matthew 24:36-25:46), but none of the signs of Matthew 24:4-34 are expected to precede His return, because they have already occurred. This is known by professional theologians as the Partial Preterist view of eschatology, and it is the view with which I personally identify.”  —  DOMINION! How Kingdom Action Can Change the World  p. 61

Dominionism can be traced back to Ambrose of Milan (338-397), who influenced St Augustine, (354-430).

Ambrose believed that the church should exert political authority over the state so that the courts and government would reflect the morality and ethics teachings of the church.

Martin Luther (1483-1546) and John Calvin (1509-1564) were ardent students of St Augustine’s theology.

In 1540 John Calvin set about creating a Genevan Society.

John Calvin’s plan was to incorporate the church into government by restructuring municipal government so that clergy would be involved in municipal decisions, particularly in disciplining the populace.

Dominionists are using a strategy called the ‘7 Mountains’ strategy where they are taking over top positions through a mass ‘Christian’ movement to infiltrate business, government, media, arts, education, family and religion.

Calvin imposed a hierarchy on the Genevan Society

Dominionists are doing the same through the 5 fold ministry concept (Ephesians 4:11).  The Apostles being at the top of the hierarchy who will govern the world.

Calvin began a series of statute reforms to impose a strict and uncompromising moral code on the city

Angus Buchan, Elza Meyer, Graham Power, Dion Forster, Stephen Johnson, Bennie Mostert with their programs such as Turn2God, Mighy Men Conference and Global Day of Prayer, are beginning to promote a strict moral and ethical code over the people of South Africa under the name of “Unashamedly Ethical“, which I am sure will become a society soon enough.

The Genevan Society is actually a small scale model of what the Dominionists are currently doing to the whole world, and very successfully I might add.

Calvin’s idea was to enforce a new Christian moral code on the Geneva City.

Dominionists are currently doing the exact same.  They are enforcing an ethical code on mankind based on morals, values and principles,

A great emphasis is placed on man’s efforts, good works and the law – the right wing Christian calls it Revival, the left wing Religious calls its social transformation – revival of socialism.

Preterism and Dominionism originated from Roman Catholicism – The Preteristic Catholic church gives us the oldest Dominion Theology model.

Amillennialists believe that there will be no rapture.

Dominionists believe there will not be a rapture either.

Dominion Theology encompasses a special group of believers who will take control of the world.

These ‘special’ people are known as covenant people or overcomers (better known as ‘Joel’s Army’)

These chosen Dominionists see themselves as being elected/chosen by God to bring the world under the submission of the Church.

Calvinism believes in the same thing:  Unconditional Election or Predestination

In order for Dominionists to create their new Christian world, the people must be either coerced or lied too, into believing in this false Christianity.  Over time if you have not joined the movement you will be declared wicked and punished or purged from society

Calvinism believes in the same thing:   Total Hereditary Depravity

Amillennialists believe that there will be no anti-Christ in the future because he already showed himself in 70 A.D. which resulted in the destruction of Jerusalem – Satan is currently bound.  Therefore Revelation prophecy has already been fulfilled.

Amillennialists believe there is no coming tribulation as this too took place in 70 A.D.

[DTW note:  This is a very scary thought because if the anti-Christ has already been done and dusted back in 70 A.D then the current world should only expect Jesus Christ to return.  The world does not need to worry about an anti-Christ at all.  This is however completely false as masses of people will end up accepting the false Christ as being Jesus Christ the Son of God.]

The only project for Amillennialists/Dominionists is to reclaim the world for their Christ by preaching a gospel (does not matter what gospel as long as it mentions ‘Christ’).

And in doing so they will create a society of  people with similar interests, purposes, or passions that will dominate the world in order to create the Kingdom of God, a Heaven on Earth so that The Christ will return.  This is also called ‘God’s Plan or God’s Dream’.

Calvinism, Dominionism, Kingdom Now teaching, Replacement Theology, Latter Rain Manifest Sons of God teaching, Word of Faith, New Apostolic Reformation, Emerging Church Movement, Transformation, Reformation, etc, etc.  is all one and the same doctrine…

All these doctrines are can be classified under different things:

• different names,
• different terminology
• different definitions
• different interpretations of scripture
• different eschatology
• different theology
• different ways of receiving the false spirit

The entire point is to make you think they are completely different doctrines when in fact they are all the same and each one of these movements will cause you to die spiritually if you don’t get out – they will ALL lead you back to Rome and to hell.